Designer In Profile | Heliconia
Heliconia is a full service residential design studio. We design, execute & style new homes & renovations from the ground up.
Owners Sally Paterson and Renee Hawkins share a long-standing passion for creating beautiful homes, with a background that encompasses designing and managing new builds and renovations as well as interior and editorial styling.
In 2018 they combined forces to create Heliconia, which is now a team of nine designers, stylists, project managers and procurement specialists working on a range of projects.
When did you first develop an interest in interior design and how did you start your business?
Sally: For me it was as a teenager – my bedroom was spatially planned and reorganised constantly, and I was known to spend weekends trialling new wall-painting techniques like “sponging”, much to the amusement of my siblings. But I pursued studies in the natural world and obtained a degree in Environmental Biology. I loved every minute of the course but never used it in a career capacity. My first ‘real’ job was in marketing at a residential mortgage business, where I remained until having kids. I then seized the moment to upskill and went back to college to study design. Renee and I have been friends since high school and our shared interest in how our immediate surroundings shape our mood and wellbeing has been ever present. When an opportunity came in 2018 to combine forces and turn what we knew and loved into a business, we ran with it and never looked back.
Renee: I’ve always had a passion for design and architecture, growing up in a family of renovators. However, my journey into interior design took a different route. I spent many years in corporate as an HR Director in the entertainment, medical device and IT industries, which allowed me to travel the world and gain vast experience. While renovating and building my own homes, I found myself increasingly drawn to design. During my overseas travels for work, I would often be inspired by the architecture and interiors of hotels, restaurants, and landmarks coming home with countless photos of hotel lobbies, bars, bathrooms and unique designs. This combination of hands-on experience with my own projects and the inspiration I gathered over time, deepened my passion and knowledge for creating beautiful and functional spaces. Sally and I had always loved talking about our design ideas and renovations. When an opportunity to take a break from corporate presented itself in 2018, Sally and I joined forces to take our passion into a full-time business. We’ve now completed more than 100 projects ranging from knock down rebuilds to full home furniture and styling.
Describe your business’ style and customer:
We don’t have a particular style per se – in fact if you asked all the members of our team they’d probably all have different style preferences from modernist and mid-century to classic farmhouse! Our clients are typically time poor, and place a strong value on clever design and quality products. We’ve helped downsizers, new families, single executives, multi-generational families and everyone in between.
What’s your favourite GlobeWest piece/collection and why?
Renee: For indoors, I’m really into the new Oberon range, especially the Oberon Crescent Marble Storage Unit in Matt Ocean Marble with Smoked Ash cabinetry. Curves are still trending, and the shape of this cabinet, paired with the rich cabinetry tones and veined marble, makes it a standout piece. As for outdoors, I’m a huge fan of Globe West’s collections, and with summer coming up, I’m loving the new Valencia sofa and dining chair range – perfect for outdoor entertaining!
Sally: that’s a hard one – this latest collection has so much to love! I’ve currently got my eye on the Ponte range. The natural intricate beauty of the marble vein paired with the simple silhouettes… gorgeous!
What’s your go-to interior piece?
Sally: I think for me it’s lighting. Layers of illumination options (table lamps, floor lamps, pendant lights, wall sconces) in a room lends it the ability to host multiple atmospheres depending on the need.
Renee: Artwork, photos and mirrors. Once all the layers are created, these personal items can instantly change the feel and personality of a space.


Pictured: Benjamin Ripple Oval Dining Table and Oberon Curve Set of 2 Side Table | Photography by Simon Whitbread
What are your top three styling tips to create a contemporary aesthetic in your home?
- Define it. Creating a mood board helps you articulate what it is you’re drawn to, and why. Understanding this makes it so much easier to make styling decisions.
- Focus on the atmosphere and forget trends. Think about creating an aesthetic that evokes a desired feeling for you (relaxing, energising, cosy), and let that guide your selections.
- Use intention. Mass consumerism and fast fashion are out. Think about purpose, longevity, quality, the story of the piece, and why it deserves a place in your home.
What does a typical day look like at Heliconia?
Firstly, we all take it in turns to bring the coffee! Once that has arrived our day might include a project meeting, where we collaboratively support the lead designer by workshopping some design details. There’s usually a supplier that pops by to drop off some samples, and someone will inevitably be scooting off to a site visit to discuss a project’s design execution with a builder or floor plan options with an architect. At the moment one of our many live projects is setting up a home here in Sydney for an expat for when she and her family return. So there’s a lot of trade coordination, product specifying, procurement and logistics going on behind the scenes.
What’s your creative process?
We have a communal inspiration folder where team members share designs, ideas, etc that are interesting, new or could solve a problem for a client. We’ll also attend lots of trade events and showrooms to keep up to date with market trends and movements.
When it comes to our projects, we spend a lot of time upfront understanding our client’s core needs, and tuning into their vision. We’ll then combine phases of focussed design and drawing time with collaborative team workshops, to bounce ideas around for a particular project or design challenge.
We’re also big fans of the “go for a stroll and then sleep on it” approach for when we need to solve particularly challenging design scenarios. It always creates space for lightbulb ideas!
What’s your dream project?
We’re a full service residential design studio and store, so our dream project is helping a client from the very start of their renovation or build and creating a life-enriching sanctuary for them, starting with the floor plan and building concept and moving through to full interior design and complete home furnishing.
While we’re mostly occupied with residential design we’d love to dabble in boutique hospitality and aged care as well.
What’s next for Heliconia?
We are so excited to have been selected as a stockist of GlobeWest for our emerging store, Heliconia and Co. You’ll see some gorgeous combinations of beautiful quality products for the home, and now that we’re settling into our new premises in Manly, NSW we can’t wait to showcase some stunning pieces on the floor and online.
Where can people learn more about you?
Design Studio: www.heliconia.com.au
Store: www.heliconiaandco.com.au
2/410 Pittwater Rd, North Manly NSW 2100


Pictured: Sally and Renee with Sidney Peak Sofa Chair and Oberon Curve Set of 2 Side Table | Photography by Simon Whitbread
To find a designer to bring out the best of your home's features and to complement your individual style, use our website's Find a Designer service.
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